SEO or Search Engine Optimisation is a vital part of any online marketing strategy. In previous blogs, we’ve spoken about the value of SEO, how to do it well and which tools can benefit your company, but you might be wondering what the future of SEO looks like going into 2023.
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent instability in the international markets, marketing campaigns have had to adapt dramatically, with an increased focus on digital and social media marketing.
With that in mind, we thought we’d look at our predictions for the future of SEO in 2023 and discuss which advantages you can make the most of in your digital marketing push this year.
AI and machine learning
This is likely to be one of the biggest upcoming SEO trends for 2023, already finding use in a few areas of digital marketing, including content optimisation and keyword research. An example is Google’s 2022 helpful content update, which promised to reduce the importance of the search engine aspect of SEO in favour of people-first content.
With this release coming around the same time as Google’s Search Advocate John Mueller saying that content generated using AI writing tools is considered spam, it’s clear that adapting your SEO to the latest AI developments is vital for digital marketing strategies.
This means that content creators need to make sure they have a clear intended target audience and, once achieved, get to know said audience as well as possible. We’re not saying that AI doesn’t have its place in SEO and content creation, but it’s likely that in 2023 seeing copywriting and SEO software as an assistant, not a replacement, is likely the way forward.
With that in mind, we think asking questions like ‘what’s the primary purpose of my site?’ and ‘will someone reading this content feel satisfied?’ can give your content that all-important human touch that keeps users invested in your site.
Third-party cookie depreciation
Google has decided to follow suit with other search engines like Safari and has pledged to end third-party cookies by 2024, aiming to start this process midway through this year. While this does not spell the end of tracking or data collection, it could have interesting implications for SEO and marketing companies.
Currently, third-party data is collected by cookies and then shared or bought and sold in online marketplaces. It can then paint pictures of high-value customers, target new audiences and create location-based campaigns.
In the future, though, it’s likely that cookies will exist as either cohort-based marketing. This is where companies segment audiences with similar influences and behaviours, and first-party relationships, which build a marketing database directly between customers and providers, and that aren’t shared externally.
What does this mean for SEO?
Personal data gathering isn’t as integral a part of SEO as it is to other areas of digital advertising, which could provide an excellent opportunity for online marketers. Engaging audiences via keyword optimisation, instead of accessing third-party cookies, is likely to be a strong SEO trend for 2023, allowing marketers to attract more traffic to their website without relying on a soon-to-be-obsolete method.
Video marketing
Over the years, video marketing trends have evolved from TV ads to viral videos and vlogs. In addition, new tech has paved the way for engaging content like 360-degree and VR shopping videos.
Entrepreneur Magazine’s video marketing survey finding that 59% of marketers said that video marketing showed a positive ROI and 58% planning to incorporate more videos into their future strategies. This shows that video marketing will continue to be vital in digital content creation.
Google is releasing new features to help businesses build their SEO strategies to incorporate video marketing.
Clip markup
This feature lets users highlight critical points within videos meaning viewers can skip straight to those parts. This is great for content creators who advertise tips or products that audiences can access quickly and ergonomically.
Seek markup
Seek markup informs Google on how your URL structure works. This is critical because it lets Google display the important sections of your video automatically, meaning Google searches can link with specific portions of video content.
With the introduction of these tools, video marketing will likely remain a key element in the future of SEO in 2023.
Conversational queries
As we mentioned above, giving your content a personal, human touch is a great way to keep your copy relevant and is set to be one of the upcoming SEO trends for 2023. Google continually optimises the user’s search experience, and a critical part of this is understanding language complexities.
With their launch of LaMDA, an update designed to understand natural language, Google is encouraging SEO to take a more organic, conversational style. Businesses and creators can therefore benefit from including questions, statements and phrases that will engage with users naturally rather than leaning into software-based optimisation.
Voice Searching
With the growth in voice assistants like Siri and Google Assistant, voice searching is becoming increasingly popular. With a 2022 report estimating that there are 4.2 billion digital voice assistants in use worldwide and 68% of users agreeing that voice searching makes their life easier, it’s clear that this trend is here to stay.
How does this impact SEO?
While there is an overlap between on-page and voice search optimisation, there are also a few areas of distinction.
Primarily, voice searches tend to be more conversational than text searches. For example, someone text-searching might type ‘Italian food near me,’ while a similar voice search might sound like ‘what are some good Italian restaurants nearby?’
Creators must adapt their content to incorporate this new SEO trend for 2023. As with the broader move towards conversational language, it’s likely that using more long-tail keywords and prioritising everyday language will be a smart move, as would exploring local SEO options, as voice searches are three times more likely to be local-based than text searches.
Increase your visibility with One2create in 2023
At One2create, we’re SEO connoisseurs. With our extensive experience in SEO consultancy, we can help you achieve higher rankings, better brand reach and enhanced visibility while boosting your web visits and sales.
So, if you want to make the most of your SEO in 2023, get your free SEO audit now, or get in touch for more details on how we can maximise your reach this year.
